Dry-Off: When Milk Stops but Trouble Can Start

Dry off can be a stressful time for your cows. Here are a few steps you can take to make the process as smooth as possible.

1 month pre dry off

• Trimmed tails improves the cleanliness of a job and is always much appreciated by the teat seal team.

• If possible, get heifers used to the cow shed by running them through a few times. Teaching them to row up is a bonus.

1-2 weeks pre dry off

• Our focus here is to reduce milk production to less than 1kg MS per cow per day. The lower it is, the smoother the dry off.

• 8kg DM per cow per day to reduce milk production.

• Minimise use of feeds high in protein, such as fresh pasture, rich silage, chicory, and high protein meals.

• Continue to provide ad lib water to your cows.

At dry off

• Keep milk production to a minimum and reduce exposure to pathogens.

• Continue the low protein diet with DMI 8-10kg/cow/day.

• Consider the cleanliness of the exit race and the paddocks that cows will be in immediately after dry off.

• Check cows for mastitis

  
  

  

Which cows get dry cow antibiotics?

• Cows with high SCC in a herd test in the 80 days prior to dry off or those that have had chronically high SCC (>150,000 SCC = high)

• Cows with damaged teat ends, leaving them more susceptible to infections e.g. warts, hyperkeratosis

• Blanket dry cow should be reserved for those with justification such as herd test data, culture results, mastitis history, dairy antibiograms, teat scoring, etc.

If you would like further detail on any of the above, please get in touch